The Fort MacArthur Museum Association: Welcome!

About the Museum
The Fort MacArthur Museum is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the history of Fort MacArthur, a U.S. Army post which guarded the Los Angeles harbor from 1914 to 1974. The Museum was established in 1985, and it is housed in the corridors and galleries of historic Battery Osgood-Farley. The Fort MacArthur Reservations hold an important collection of historical structures which were part of the U.S. Army's role in the defense of the American continental coastline from invasion. These structures clearly trace the development of American coastal defenses, from the all big gun era of the turn of the century to the missile era of today.

The rooms, galleries and corridors of the Museum contain a variety of exhibits and displays which include: the history of Los Angeles harbor defenses, home-front activities in the greater Los Angeles area during the World Wars, Civil Defense, American Pacific Theater military campaigns, early American Air Defenses and the important role of Los Angeles as a military port for both the Army and the Navy.

Veteran Spotlight Fall 2007
By Stephen R. Nelson, Museum Director

This quarter we review the career of Joseph Joyce. Joe grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. After high school, he enrolled at St. Thomas University with the goal of becoming a lawyer. He finished two years of college and was about to start his law degree when Joe’s father made a strong suggestion. Joe’s father felt that since the draft was in full swing, it didn’t make sense for Joe to start a law degree only to be interrupted in the middle to serve in the Army. So he suggested that Joe volunteer to be called up, finish his year and a day in the service and then start his degree.

On September 16, 1941 Joe was selected and inducted at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Shortly thereafter he was sent to Camp Callan, San Diego. There he was sent for basic training in the Coast Artillery. Joe was destined for seacoast artillery and trained on various small arms and seacoast guns with the largest weapon being the 155mm GPF. While in training, Joe recalls that many members of the 155mm gun crew stuffed cotton in their ears for protection during firing of the guns but also recalls that...<More>

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Its official, on Friday July 25, 2008 the California State Historical Resources Commission voted in a 5-1 decision to accept the nomination by the Fort MacArthur Museum Association to make the former upper reservation of Fort MacArthur into a California State Historic District. Its going to take a little bit of time for the paperwork to process, but look for more information to be released soon.

Donate to the Ft MacArthur Museum
Help make a difference in 2008

The Fort MacArthur Museum Association is constantly working to provide an innovative and educational experience to our guests.

The many preservation and restoration projects that the association undertakes each year for the benefit of museum visitors, continues to grow. These projects vary greatly but all have one thing in common...
The Need for Funding
The Fort MacArthur Museum receives next to no public funding. Thus we encourage anyone interested in contributing funding to our organization to click on the link below. You can use your credit card or PayPal account to donate and help us make a difference.

The Fort MacArthur Museum Association is a registered 501c3 non-profit educational corporation, and you donation may be tax deductible.

Content © 1994 - 2006 The Fort MacArthur Museum Association. This web site has been prepared and is maintained by the Fort MacArthur Museum Association. We welcome email asking for additional museum and historical information. Comments or suggestions concerning this web site should be addressed to the webmaster. The opinions expressed in Fort MacArthur Association publications are those of the Fort MacArthur Museum Association, contributors, and members. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks or any individuals employed by any department of the City of Los Angeles.

Last updated on 27-Jun-2007